Web printing



2 Sheets-Shet 1.

(No Model.)

W. SCOTT. WEB PRINTING, FOLDING, AND CUTTING MACHINE.

No. 468,350. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

THE new! PiTERS cm, mom-1.1mm, wuumnrnu, o. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Y W. SCOTT. WEB PRINTING, FOLDING, AND CUTTING MACHINE. No. 458,350.Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

PATENT OFFICE.

\VAL'IEE SCOTT, OF PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

WEB PRINTING, FOLDING,

AND CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,350, dated August25, 1891. Application filed November 3, 1890. Serial No. 370,124. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER Soorr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented an Improvement in WVeb Printing, Folding, and CuttingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

In my application, Serial No. 315,886, filed June 28, 1889, I haverepresented three webprinting presses, one above the other, and the websare conveyed away associated, folded longitudinally, and then out.

In my application, Serial No. 317,719, filed July 16, 1889, I haverepresented three web: printing presses, in which the webs areassociated together, folded longitudinally, and cut.

The present invention is to supply a demand that has arisen for a pressin which the printed webs canbe delivered and folded in different ways,according to the article or product to be deliveredthat is to say, inthe present invention one, two, or three of the webs can be foldedlongitudinally and cut off and then folded transversely, or one, two, orthree webs can be delivered, cut oft, and folded, or twoor more sheetsafter being cut off can be collected and delivered to the'foldingmechanism for folding the product longitudinally or transversely, thusadapting the press to newspaper-work or job-work and to the printing andfolding of products containing four, six, eight, ten, twelve, fourteen,sixteen, twenty, and twenty-four page products. In connection with thefolding of the printed web or webs longitudinallyl have found adifficulty, especially in the better qualities of work, where the paperis heavy, and especially with paper that is highly glazed uponthesurface. This difficulty arises from the paper folding unequally in itslongitudinal fold, in consequence of the paper being stiff and crackingmore or less as it is folded longitudinally by running over an incline.To overcome this difficulty, I apply to the web a line of moisture atthe place where the longitudinal fold is made, so that the paper becomessufficiently softened to prevent the cracking operation beforementioned; and I remark that in order to maintain the proper glaze uponthe paper in the better qualities of press-work it is usual not tomoisten the paper, thereby maintaining the gloss that is given to thepaper in its manufacture, and the narrow line of moisture applied at thefold of said paper accomplishes the object v mentioned of preventing thepaper cracking without the gloss on the surface of the paper adjacent tothe fold being injured by moistu re, and in folding paper, especiallyWhere the paper is dry and moderately stiff, a difficulty has heretoforebeen experienced in folding one sheet in the middle adjacent to ahalfsheet that intervenes between the folded sheet and one of thefolding-rolls, and in order to insure the proper action of the foldingdevice the folding-roll, against which the half-sheet is brought intocontact by the folding-blade acting upon the whole sheet, is providedwith pins which act upon the margin of the paper or upon a line of thesubsequent fold, so as to insure the proper movement of the halfsheetadjacent to the whole sheet that is being folded.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section of theapparatus made use of by me. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of thelongitudinal folding device. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the directionin which the webs are passed when they are to be out before folding.Fig. 4 is a section of the foldingrolls and blade in larger size. Fig. 5illustrates the manner in which the sheets may be brought together orfolded to form the products containing the various numbers of pagesheretofore indicated, and Fig. (5 is a separate sectional plan view ofthe moisteners. Fig. '7 is a modification i-nthe arrangement of therolls around which the webs pass.

8 shows the folding-rolls and sheets, and Fig. 9 isamodification of themoistener. Fig. 10 shows part of the folding-blade and one of theneedles, and Fig. 11 is a diagrammaticplan view illustrating therelative positions of the folding-blade, arms, rock-shaft, andactuating-cams, the position of the frame being indicated by dottedlines.

I have numbered the presses as 1, 2, and 3, and the printing-cylinders AA A are inked in any convenient manner and given the first impressionagainst the impression-cylinders B B B and the webs of paper pass overthe second impression-cylinders O O C and receive the second impressionfrom the printing-cylinders D D D and these are inked in any suitablemanner, and in Fig. 1 I have illustrated inking devices such as areusually made use of. The rolls of paper E E E are mounted in any usualway, and from such rolls the webs pass into the respective presses andthey are led over the rollers 2 3 4 to the respectiveprinting-cylinders, and they pass away after receiving the impressionbelow the respective rolls 5 6 7.

I provide a longitudinal folding-incline F, with pairs of verticalfolding-rollers G G between the folding-incline F and the turninginclineH, and at the end of the turning-incline H are the horizontal cutters II, which serve to separate the web or associated webs into sheets, andthese sheets pass along between the bars 8, (or their equivalents,tapes,) and the advancing edges of the sheets are arrested by the gage9, and there is a folder K above the folding-rolls L, which foldingbladeis actuated by suitable means-such, for instance, as a cam acting at theends of the folding-blade to carry the sheet down between the rolls L atthe proper time, and the folded product may be received into anysuitable holder or it maybe delivered to a second folding deviceactingat right angles to the first. I also provide rotarycutting-cylinders M M beneath the folding-incline F, and theseoutter-cylinders are adjacent to the ranges of belts 10 and 11, thatpass around the rolls 12 13 14 15 16 17 and convey the sheets, as cut,away from the cylinders M M, and I provide a collecting-cylinder N, incontactwith which the belts 11 also pass, and there is a stationaryguide 0 and moving switch 0 for directing the sheets around thecollecting-cylinder N, when so desired, or when the sheets are not to becollected the switch 0 is set so that the sheets are carried by thebelts 10 and 11 over the roll 17 and beneath cylinder N and against theroll 15 and up over the roll 18 to the folding apparatus P, and there isa second switch Q adjacent to the roller 19, by which the sheets can bediverted to the folding mechanism P. This allows one sheet to be carriedto the folderP and the next sheet to the folder P, so as to give timefor the folding mechanism to operate, and these folders, the switches,and the collecting-cylinder correspond generally to those represented inmy patent, No. 398,544.

In addition to the device before described, I make use of a folder Radjacent to the rolls 2O 21, which may be brought to fold the sheetstransversely as they are cut off and form one product. This folder R isto be notched for the passage of the belts 10.

The rolls 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27 are provided in the positionsrepresented in order that the webs of paper may be conveyed away, ashereinafter described,so as to be delivered in products with a greateror less number of pages associated together.

It will now be understood that a web from either press No. 1,2, or 3 canbe run over the folding-incline F and folded longitudinally andseparated transversely by the cutters I I and delivered as a four-pageproduct, or which usually will be folded by the blade K and into asmaller compass before being delivered. If two webs are run over thefolder F, they will be folded toget-her'longitudinally and can be cutofi as an eight-page product and delivered flat or folded. If all threewebs are brought together and run over the folding-incline F, they willbe cut off together and delivered as a twelve-page product either fiator folded. It is to be understood that the folder K can be thrown out ofaction, as usual in presses. If a six-page product is required, onewhole web and a half-width web may be printed on two of the presses andthey maypass over the longitudinal folding-incline F, the whole-widthweb being folded and the half-width web being above or below one-half ofthe whole-width web, and the product is cut by the rotary cutters I Iinto sheets and folded by the blade K, or, if desired, the whole-widthweb and the half-width web can be passed between the rollers 25 and 26and separated by the cutters M M, and conveyed by the belts 10 and 11 tothe folders P P, and by the switch Q the products are directed first tothe folder P and then to the folder P, and this part of the apparatusmay also be used for folding a four-page product or an eight-pageproduct. In cases where a ten-page product is desired two f ull-wid thwebs are to be printed on the presses 1 and 3 and a half-width web uponthe press No.2, the half-width web coinciding with half of thewhole-width web, as indicated in Fig. 5, and the product may be foldedlongitudinally upon the incline F before being cut oif, or the same maybe carried between the rollers 25 26 and delivered to the folders P Psuccessively. Where a sixteen-page product is required, two webs can beemployed, and the pairs of sheets, as separated, will be collected uponthe cylinder N, and each four sheets so collected will be delivered andconveyed first to the folder P and then to the folder P, and thisoperation is the same when a twenty-page product is required; but inthat case two full-width webs from the presses 1 and 3 will .be used,with a half-width web from the press No. 2 introduced between them, andwhen a twenty-fou 1' page product is desired three pairs of sheets fromtwo of the printing-presses willrbe accumulated upon thecollecting-cylinder N, the six sheets forming the product beingdischarged at once from the collecting-cylinder and carried to thefolder]? or P. In all cases care is to be exercised to bring the printedmatter on the different webs properly into register.

In order to facilitate the longitudinal folding of either one or more ofthe webs, I make use of a moistener T, that applies to the web of papera line of moisture where the fold is subsequently to take place. Thismoistener T is preferably in the form of a disk, the periphery of whichis of a proper width for ap- IIO plying the line of moisture. Thismoistener may be a disk of fibrous material between two metallic disks,the periphery of the porous or. fibrous material extending slightlybeyond the edges of the metallic disks and receiving the moisture from awater-holder direct or from a porous roller in such waterholder.

The axis 0 of the moistener may be tubular, with openings communicatingwith the porous disk T, so that water may be supplied through thistubular axis 0 to the desired extent, such supply being regulated by avalve d.

In Fig. 4 I have represented the folder P as adjacent to thefolding-rolls 29 30, andupon the surface of the roll 29 there areprojecting pins, such pins being located so as to act upon the paper, bypreference in the line of a fold to be afterward made in the sheets orupon the margins of the paper, and these pins are especially availablewhen a whole-width web and a half-width web are being made use of, as inproducing'a six-page paper, because the sheet of half-width ispreferably between the sheet of full-widthand the roller 29, and asthese rollers 29 and 30 are revolved as usual the half-width sheet iscarriedin between the rolls 29 and 30 with reliability, because thepressure upon a whole-width sheet causes the half-width sheet to pressupon the pins that project from the roll 29. Hence such pins and rollcarry the half-sheet in between the rolls at the same speed as thewhole-width web is carried between such rolls by the action of the bladeP, whereas if such pins were not made use of on the roll 29 thehalf-width sheet might not be started with the same rapidity nor move asreliably as the wholewidth sheet.

It will be apparent that if a very small stream of water is allowed torun along an inclined wire or a piece of cord or other flexible materialresting upon the paper at the place where the fold is subsequently to beapplied, as seen at T, Fig. 1, a line of moisture can be placed upon thepaper instead of using the wheel or disk before described. In thisinstance the-water can be supplied by a pipe and regulated by a cock. Itis also important to be able to stop the flow of water or to raise themoisture out of contact with the have represented in the form of awaterholder T, from which a regulated supply of water passes along. agutter, wire, or piece of flexible material t, and there is a pivot ufor the water-holder and a link 0 to the belt shifter 20, so that thewater-holder is thrown out of action as the belt is shifted to theloosepulley and the reverse. The cock that regulates the supply may beshut off automatically by the link 1;, as shown in Fig. 1, or in theapparatus shown in Fig. 9 the end of the gutter or tube 25 may be raisedabove the level of the water to stop the supply.

. In Fig. 8 I have represented the half-width web as between twofull-width Webs. The margin or edge of the half-width Web passessufficiently beyond the line of the fold to make a narrow fold in theedge of the half-width web. In this case the narrower web may beslightly more than thehalf-width of the whole- Wvicltlrweb, so that. theprinted 'matterwill come properly to register and the fold near the edgeof the narrower web will hold such narrower web properly in positionbetween the full-Width webs, and in this case it is preferable to usealong with the folding-blade. P one or more needle-points s, Fig. 8,projecting beyond the edge of the folder to pass through the layers ofpaper and hold the narrower-width web inits proper position for beingfolded and prevent the same slipping during the folding operation, andthese pins may be used in connection with the folding-blade when onefull-width web or two full-width webs are used with the narrower web. Incases where one web is slightly wider than the half-width, as seen inFig. 8, a line of paste may be applied near the edge to unite the sameto the adjacent web in the folding operation. A paste-trough is shown atE to apply the paste to the middle web, and the paste being applied on aline at one side of the fold does not become spread by thefolding-blade. In the diagrammatic plan, Fig. 2,

the dotted line indicates the'position of the central fold, and asheetisindicated between I the two full-width webs, which intermediate sheetis rather wider than the half-width, and

)the position of the paste-wheel isindicated at E It will be apparentupon reference toFig. 7 that in cases where the rolls 25 and 26, thatare adjacent .to the cutters M M, occupy the positions represented theroll 27 may-be Usually it is preferable to dispensed with. provide amoistening apparatus T with each of the presses, so that all three websmay be moistened in the middle before being passed over thefolding-incline, according to the condition of the paper. In someinstances it is preferable to apply the water to the under side of thepaper, and this maybe effected by a wheel running in a trough of water,as seen at T Fig. 1. In all cases it is advantageous to apply the waterto the web as it passes from the roll into the press, as the watershould have sufficient time to soften the paper before folding.

The cams K, that serve to actuate the folder K, are upon a cross-shaft Kabove the folder and the folder is upon arms K piv- IIO oted uponthecross-shaft K Hence the cams give to the folding-blade a very positiveand reliable movement, and where the shaft of the cams is driven bydirect gearing from the cutter-cylinder, as indicated by'the dottedlines L, the folding operation is broughtinto reliable harmony with thecutting operation, so that the fold takes place the moment the productis cut off and the folding-blade rises in time for the next sheet topass beneath it. The folding-rolls should be accelerated in theirmovement.

In my patent, No. 436,155, granted September 9, 18-90, the web from thethird press is'presented with the side that receives the lastimon theline of moisture, substantially as speci- 2. The combination, in afolding mechanism adapted to fold a whole-width sheet and a half-widthsheet or web, of the folding-blade, rollers between which the fold ofthe wholewidth web is carried by the blade, and pins upon the rollerwithwhich the half-width web comes into contact for insuring the propermovement of the half-width web or sheet during the folding operation,substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with two presses, one for printing a whole-width weband the other for printing aweb rather more than half-width, of a cutterfor'cutting the associated webs off into separate products and afolding-blade and rollers for folding in the center of the whole-widthweb and near the edge of the other web, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with two presses, one for printing awhole-width weband the other for printing a web rather more than halfwidth, of meansfor applying a line of paste between the inner edge of the narrow widthand the whole-width web and where the fold does not come, and a cutterfor separating the combined webs into sheets and a folder for foldingthe sheets on the center line of the whole width, substantially asspecified.

5. Three printing-presses for printing on two full-width webs and oneweb slightly more than half the width of the other webs, in combinationwith rollers for bringing such webs together and in register, cuttersfor separating the printed webs to form one product, and a folder forfolding such product with the line of fold adjacent to the one edge ofthe narrower web and central with the other web or webs, substantiallyas set forth.

6. The combination, in a printing mechanism, of three presses adapted toprint upon both sides of three separate webs, an incline for folding oneor more of the webs longitu din ally, and cutters for cuttin g off thefolded web or webs, cutters for cutting off one or more of the printedwebs before being folded, and rollers around which the respective websare passed between the printing, folding, and cutting devices, wherebythe printed webs can be associated, folded, and cut, or cut and folded,as required, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a press for printing upon a web of paper and alongitudinallyfolding mechanism, of a moistener adapted to apply a lineof moisture longitudinally of the web and where the fold is to be madeand automatic moving mechanism for separating the moistener from thepaper when the press is stopped, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with a press for printing upon a web, of a cutter tocut up the web transversely, a folding-blade to fold the papertransversely, pivoted arms for carrying such blade, a cross-shaft andcams thereon, and rollers directly upon the pivoted arms and acted on bythe cams to give motion to the blade, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with the press for printing on a web and thebelt-shifting mechanism, of a water-supply for the paper in line of thefold and a connection from the beltshifter for stopping the moisteningof the paper when the press is stopped, and the reverse, substantiallyas specified.

Signed by me this 27th day of October, 1890.

WALTER SCOTT.

WVitnesses:

GEO. T. PINo-KNEY, HAROLD S-ERRELL.

IOC

